BG Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York Announce Collaboration on Biomarker Discovery for MS Disease Activity and Drug Response.

Biomarkers may lead to improved drug development and clinical patient management

NEW YORK and WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York (MSRCNY) and BG Medicine today announced that the two organizations have entered into an agreement to collaborate on research in the area of multiple sclerosis. Initial projects under the agreement are expected to be the discovery of biomarkers of MS disease activity and biomarkers of efficacy and safety for a currently marketed MS drug treatment.

MS is the most common neurological disease in the world in people of young age, affecting approximately 350,000 people in the US alone. The MSRCNY and BG Medicine collaboration will focus on the discovery and development of novel blood tests that can be used in routine management of MS patients. The wide availability of such tests could have a profound impact on the management of MS by increasing the ability of physicians to measure their patient's level of disease activity and improve pharmaceutical treatment.

"Two hallmarks of MS are its heterogeneity - how its manifestations differ between patients -- and its variability -- how it can change over time through remissions and exacerbations," said Saud A. Sadiq, M.D., director of MSRCNY and of the International Multiple Sclerosis Management Practice (IMSMP), a combined research and clinical center located in midtown Manhattan. "If we can supplement our clinical observations with blood tests that tell us about the level of disease activity or drug effectiveness or safety, we will advance our management of this common serious condition beyond anything imaginable at this time."

Biomarkers of disease activity can also play an important role in advancing drug discovery and development by allowing researchers to perform much smaller, shorter, and lower-cost studies in comparison to studies that rely on conventional clinical observations. Additionally, MS-related biomarkers may help to better elucidate the mechanisms involved in MS susceptibility and progression.

"We are at the dawn of a new era in medicine in which we can use biomarkers to understand and measure diseases early and thus treat the actual disease process," said Pieter Muntendam, MD, President and CEO of BG Medicine. "This partnership with MSRCNY will leverage their high level of scientific expertise in MS and their access to patients to facilitate the discovery and development of MS biomarkers for the improved clinical management of the disease."

Under the terms of the agreement between the parties, MSRCNY will provide project expertise, certain analytical capabilities, and clinical patient samples for use by BG Medicine for the discovery, development, validation, and subsequent commercialization of clinical biomarkers in exchange for certain payments from BG Medicine.

About BG Medicine

BG Medicine is a life sciences company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel molecular diagnostics to improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs. BG Medicine discovers biomarkers and develops its diagnostic product candidates using its proprietary, versatile, and scalable technology platform, which integrates the precise measurement and analysis of thousands of proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids derived from bodily fluids or tissues. This approach to biomarker discovery allows the company to pursue the most promising opportunities unconstrained by biology or specimen type. BG Medicine is leveraging its technology platform in multiple biomarker initiatives and collaborations with leading clinical research centers, major pharmaceutical companies, premier healthcare companies, and the US Food and Drug Administration. For additional information about BG Medicine, please visit www.bg-medicine.com.

About MSRCNY

The Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York is a non-profit independent medical research organization dedicated to finding the cause and a cure for multiple sclerosis. MSRCNY focuses on translational research, bringing findings quickly from the laboratory into clinical application to treat symptoms of MS and to halt or reverse damage caused by the disease. Current research includes studies in genetics, immune mechanisms, virology, protein biology, and stem cell repair and regeneration. MSRCNY also serves an educational function, providing advanced training for medical professionals interested in entering or expanding their work in MS, and sponsoring conferences and symposia for professionals and the public. For more information about MSRCNY and its programs, please visit our website, www.msrcny.org.